Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

YAS! Portal-Platform Paves the Way for Youth Entrepreneurs in Africa

Youth Entrepreneurs in Africa
The world is full of innovative thinkers and passionate experimenters. To ensure that these minds are able to make a lasting impact on the world, there needs to be certain types of support to exponentially increase the success rate of the idea. One such support avenue is to encourage youth entrepreneurs in Africa to utilize their skill sets and ideas to benefit not only their communities but also the globe.

The Youth for Africa and SDGs (YAS!) Portal Platform

Recently, the United Nations Development Program launched a Pan-African Entrepreneurship Portal-Platform with the help of Accenture in East, West, and Southern Africa to create an online support community for youth entrepreneurs in Africa.

The Youth for Africa and SDGs (YAS!) Portal Platform was designed and implemented with the intention to cultivate an online network that would promote mentorship between youth entrepreneurs in Africa and established professionals, funding for members and projects, sharing of information that would lead to future developments, and networking between individuals with similar interests and goals.

“YAS! will better serve the private sector with innovation, supplier diversification and talent on the African continent and in parallel accelerate the growth of the entrepreneurship eco-system,” said Sandiso Sibisi, Accenture Africa’s Open Innovation Lead.

Youth for Africa and SDGs’ Four Pillars of Support

The Youth for Africa and SDGs focus on its four pillars of support: Learn, Ecosystem Map, Challenges, and Opportunities.

  1. Learning would help youth entrepreneurs in Africa start strongly with their entrepreneurship. The YAS! Portal-Platform would provide its members with key concepts important in having a successful enterprise development as well as news about other African leaders.
  2. An ecosystem map allows for users to provide or accept funding for certain entrepreneurships and have access to a network of other professionals and young African entrepreneurs. This map would connect the entrepreneurship stakeholders with service providers, corporations.
  3. There are certain challenges that young African entrepreneurs can focus on to receive recognition of a financial award. These challenges are related to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations. This specific pillar is critical for the purpose of this organization as ending poverty and creating a better future for the futures of young African entrepreneurs drives this platform.
  1. Lastly, the opportunities that come with the platform is indispensable for youth entrepreneurs in Africa. These young individuals are able to learn more about the global entrepreneurship and connect with leading entrepreneurs, potential investors, and opportunistic corporates.

“YAS! is a much needed Pan African digital mechanism for youth entrepreneurs to access opportunities and contribute to the positive transformation of the continent through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” said Tomas Sales, the United Nations Development Programme Advisor for Private Sector.

YAS! and the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals are important in any plan for the future because those 17 goals are designed to apply universally to all peoples.

As the Millennium Development Goals are the predecessors to the SDGs, it can be stated without a doubt that these goals are working towards a better world for all. In the case of YAS!, the most important goals are to end poverty, protect the environment and allow people to have the freedom of choice in their futures.

A New and Improved World

A YAS! Informational Leaflet asserts that it focuses on Sustainable Development Goals because they “present a universal call to action by the United Nations for all stakeholders to join efforts to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.”

This digital platform serves to be a place for young entrepreneur minds to flourish and grow while serving as an advocate for achieving the U.N.’s SDGs.

It will allow people to connect with each other as well as work together in achieving something more than just an idea or a project. With YAS!, the entire future can change as these young minds are given the opportunity to work for bettering the world and their lives.

– Jenny S. Park
Photo: Flickr

USAID in Ethiopia: Creating a Secure and Sustainable Future

USAID in Ethiopia
Ethiopia once had some of the highest poverty rates in the world. Since 2000, the poverty level in Ethiopia has been steadily decreasing due to agricultural and economic growth and education.

Although progress is being made towards creating a secure and sustainable future for a majority of Ethiopians, 34 percent of Ethiopians are still living in poverty and facing challenges such as having adequate food to feed their families. Thankfully, organizations such as USAID in Ethiopia and various programs are positively providing solutions to the poverty cycle. 

Productive Safety Net Program

Based on the successes of the Graduation with Resilience to Achieve Sustainable Development program (GRAD) that ran from 2011 to 2016, the government of Ethiopia continues to address food insecurity through the fourth phase of the rural Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP 4).

Through USAID’s Feed the Future Ethiopia program, Livelihoods for Resilience is a program that supports PSNP 4 by addressing farming, agricultural and other non-work-related problems keeping Ethiopians without a secure food source. 

Livelihoods for Resilience

Livelihoods for Resilience is another five-year program that’s been in existence from 2016 to 2021. The goal is to continue the successes of GRAD by educating communities on finance, business, agriculture, climate change and gender equality.

With a $48 million budget, Livelihoods for Resilience is led by CARE, a U.S.-based charity organization that partners with local organizations to implement the most effective strategies for positive change in communities. These efforts can then lead to a secure and sustainable future for those working their way out of poverty.

The VESA Model

The foundation for GRAD and Livelihoods for Resilience is a community-based education model — Village Economic and Social Associations (VESAs). Through VESAs, communities are educated in finance, business and agricultural trainings.

The VESA model allows a large number of people to be helped and educated at a low cost. With the goal of increasing sustainable skills and income, VESAs proved successful as 80 percent of GRAD participants graduated from government-sponsored safety net programs.

Financial security and savings are a new and foreign concept to many families living in poverty. Livelihoods for Resilience makes sure financial and business education are at the core of VESAs to ensure families possess a secure and sustainable future.

Nature and Crop Loss

The unpredictable nature of Ethiopian weather can wipe out entire crops and ruin farmer’s income in an instant. By providing half of all participants with new agricultural training and better seeds and working with agro-dealers to provide families with the inputs necessary to make lucrative changes, GRAD reduced weather-related crop loss by 40 percent.

By distributing seed vouchers with women’s names on them after El Nino hit, women were able to easily replant crops after droughts wiped out their previous ones.

Saving through VESAs is a safe, low-risk way for poor families to invest. Gradually, families pay off loans as they make more money from small businesses or farming while they continue to invest financially in a secure and sustainable future.

Benefits of the GRAD Program

GRAD participants’ savings increased by 12 percent and their assets doubled by increasing family savings and building the family’s assets.  Income for family’s using the GRAD program went up on average of $353 a year. In fact, some family’s incomes rose by nearly $1,000.

In addition to business and farming tips, families also learn how to safely feed infants, and about gender equality and food insecurity. Also, 77 percent of GRAD participants were able to save their money in VESAs and get access to loans. Livelihoods for Resilience supports 5,000 VESAs and 350 youth VESAs.

Promoting and Possessing Gender Equality

Gender equality is a key factor in Livelihoods for Resilience. By promoting gender equality, GRAD empowers women to make the same wages as men. GRAD believes that poverty reduction processes cannot be truly made until women are providing just as much income and decision-making as the men in the house. Not only does gender equality raise the income for the family, but it also creates a community built upon respect and understanding.

In addition to women leadership training, men are taught how to be respectful and change behaviors damaging to the family and themselves.  Not only were women able to make more decisions in the house by seven times what they previously had, but the number of women who were able to make a living increased by ten times its prior.

USAID in Ethiopia

Programs like GRAD and Livelihoods for Resilience give poor communities the reigns for creating a secure and sustainable future. By educating communities on gender equality, smart agriculture and livestock practices and business, families now have the tools they need to become independent from government assistance — no matter what the future holds.

Although families and communities continue to graduate from government assistance programs like PSNP 4, the importance of USAID in Ethiopia will remain until all families have the tools necessary to sustain their lives out of poverty.

– Hope Kelly
Photo: Flickr

Sanitation in Eritrea: Efforts to End Open Defecation

Sanitation in Eritrea
One in three people, or 2.4 billion of the world’s population, don’t have access to sanitation facilities. This number equates to about 946 million people who still defecate in the open. Health problems intermix with poverty to create havoc in some of the poorest regions of the world, and such circumstances become prevalent with sanitation in Eritrea, Africa.

Eritrea

The World Health Organization reports that Eritrea remains one of the poorest countries in Africa. The country has experienced independence from Ethiopia for only 16 years, and with this separation comes some developmental setbacks.

In 2018, 66 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, and there remains an extreme lack of resources and poverty alleviation programs.

State of Sanitation

In 2008, Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) was adopted by the government of Eritrea. The goal of the program was to end open defecation — a practice that leads to a variety of health concerns such as diarrhea, intestinal worms, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis and polio trachoma. To be open-defecation-free, each household in a community or village must have their own latrine.

In 2010, only 3.5 percent of the rural population of the country had access to a latrine. This meant that over 96 percent of the population continued to practice dangerous hygiene, including open defecation. UNICEF, along with the Ministry of Health, devised a plan to help aid the country’s poorest gain proper sanitation in Eritrea.

Program Design for Proper Sanitation in Eritrea

Education and communication were the program’s two objectives in the effort to disperse proper sanitation in Eritrea. To do this, they first had to alter the taboo tied to talking about the bathroom and toilets.

Additionally, the design took into consideration the Millennium Development Goal of 2015 to have 54 percent of people able to access proper sanitation.

The program evaluated the country by six regions, or zobas, in which reside nine ethnic groups of indigenous people. To best address the concerns of each region, a case study was performed within each ethnic group to discover the specific morals and barriers in accessing sanitation.

In 2012, 52.8 percent of the population within these regions used unimproved water sources, which includes unprotected public wells or rivers and streams. Additionally, sanitation access was scarce, with only 47.3 percent having access to a latrine; in fact, over 75 percent of the rural population defecated in the open.

Tigrinya

The Tigrinya is the largest ethnic group in the country and makes up 55 percent of the population. In 2012, Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) surveyed the area on hygiene and sanitation and identified a variety of barriers in the group’s understanding of hygiene.

Firstly, the scarcity of water was a huge problem in the area. Not only did humans share water sources with animals, but also problems of distance and protection of wells raised health concerns regarding sanitation in Eritrea.

Culturally, Tigrinyan people felt that water was holy. As a result, most people felt there was no need to boil water before consumption; however, water can carry bacteria that can lead to such illnesses as schistosomiasis, giardiasis, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and vomiting.

Effective Social Support

To combat cultural and physical barriers within this group, UNICEF designed a plan specific to Tigrinyan. For instance, people were concerned that wood latrines would collapse if they used them, and thus preferred stone latrines.

However, stone materials are difficult to transport, so UNICEF educated the Village Health Committee on how to properly construct the latrines so there would be no chance of collapse. This social support provides the proper knowledge and motivation to follow through with the construction of latrines and sanitation facilities.

Successes

In 2015, almost 600 villages in Eritrea achieved open-defecation-free-status. This statistic represents 30 percent of the rural population of Eritrea — 586,000 people — who now have access to proper sanitation.

Additionally, since the adoption of CLTS the child mortality rate for children under five has dropped. In 2008, the inaugural year of the program, the child mortality rate was 89 percent. The World Bank reports in 2016 that the rate has dropped to 45 percent.

Although the progress is below the MDG of 54 percent with access to improved access by 2015, there have been significant strides in ending preventable diseases from improper sanitation in Eritrea.

– Taylor Jennings

Photo: Flickr

Facts about Poverty in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Top 10 Facts About Poverty in The Democratic Republic of The Congo
The facts about poverty in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) reveal that poverty in the country is a result of the combination of conflict spilling over from neighboring African nations and an embedded culture of governmental corruption.

The facts about poverty in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will address the underlying causes and how the DRC has been able to improve impoverished conditions in recent years.

Top 10 Facts about Poverty in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

  1. The DRC has a population of approximately 77 million people out of which 80 percent live in extreme poverty. Internationally, the DRC is ranked medium in terms of human development. Indicators of human development measure a population’s well-being, i.e. its life expectancy, infant/maternal mortality, child mortality, malnutrition and mortality associated with diseases such as malaria.
  2. The well-being of a population is disproportionate: it is far better in urban areas since wealth determines access to sanitation and medical services. Therefore, the poor in rural areas are most affected by the consequences of poverty.
  3. Poverty is a byproduct of political conflict during the 1990s, i.e. the DRC’s involvement in African War, a political/ethnic conflict from neighboring Rwanda in 1994. The country has seen a dramatic transformation from a state engulfed in brutal genocidal violence to a relatively stable post-conflict society. One-third of the DRC’s population has been internally displaced as a result of the country’s long history of political instability and violence. War-torn communities have left approximately 4 million children as orphans or homeless.
  4. Contrary to popular belief, poverty and development are linked. As the African nations’ economies develop, the population also increases steadily. The flip side to this is that malnutrition and new diseases are spreading as the existing system of governance is not equipped to keep up with the uptick in population.
  5. The DRC transitioned from a Marxist to Free Market economy, which has relied heavily on wealth from the mining industry. Upon the transition, the new economy has not been managed appropriately as wealth is spent lavishly on patronage for government officials instead of humanitarian efforts. It is for this reason that the DRC has been subjected to numerous the military coups and ceaseless internal conflict.
  6. The civil war has had a huge impact on health and poverty in the DRC by destroying infrastructure that communities relied on for clean water and sanitation. It has contributed to the spread of disease. Waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera and malaria are the most common and deadly. Three percent of those who contract cholera die due to inadequate treatment. Less than one-fourth of the DRC’s population has access to clean drinking water and sanitation services. It has a 45 percent inoculation rate of malaria that has resulted from a lack of access to cleaning drinking water and poor nutrition. Approximately two out of every five deaths in the DRC is caused by malaria.
  7. The DRC’s governmental structure has had a tumultuous relationship with their population, engaging in genocidal violence during internal conflict, and an unstable kleptocratic government system post-conflict. Historically, the DRC functions under a government that spends on personal relations to buy popular support rather than on social programs that would earn support.
  8. The people of the DRC look to the international community and nonprofits for assistance. La Nouvelle Esperance (The New Hope) program offered tremendous assistance in the Millennium Declaration, which is based on human development and humanitarian assistance. It also has specific goals to eliminate poverty altogether using a strategy that fosters national and international stability. The Global Partnership plays an integral role in improving education in the DRC, increasing access to education by providing $20 million in learning materials and renovating 728 classrooms as well as establishing learning centers. Other notable contributions have come from UNICEF and USAID.
  9. There are significant assistance programs from transnational banks such as The World Bank and African Bank. African Bank’s program helps reduce infant and maternal mortality rates through programs which distribute medical supplies. The World Bank’s program aims to increase standards of living through sanitation, energy and various accessible social services. It has 24 projects and 57 trust funds as well as $2.51 billion in commitments to eradicate extreme poverty with only 42 percent of its total resources used so far. 63 percent of these resources are to be spread across various sectors including road and transportation infrastructure, energy, water and urban development. The World Bank has also funded medical projects assisting the DRC in the successful eradication of poliomyelitis. There is a great improvement to be noted as its strategy has shifted from emergency assistance programs to sustainable growth strategies.
  10. With the help of the U.N. and Great Britain, the DRC has successfully demobilized and improved health and education opportunities. The British government has proven to be a world leader in combating global poverty. Britain’s Department of International Development has developed an initiative that aims to support long-term programs that tackle the underlying issues of poverty by ensuring primary education, gender equality, a reduction in child and mother death rates as well as environmental protection. Other notable contributions have come from the French and Belgian governments through the WBG, fostering public management of resources as well as public administrative support.

The facts about poverty in the Democratic Republic of the Congo provide an understanding of not only the history and effects of poverty in the country but also working solutions to address the issue.

– Kimberly Keysa

Photo: Flickr

Khalsa Aid: Clean Water Access in Malawi

Clean Water Access in Malawi
Founded in 1999, Khalsa Aid is a U.K.-based organization that has the aim to provide humanitarian aid in disaster areas and civil conflict zones around the world.

So far, its tireless efforts have included assisting victims of the Yemen Civil War and refugees landing on the shores of Greece from the Middle East, as well as extending support to the Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar. In a more recent relief project, this organization gave food to 8,000 people who were affected by the floods in Kerala and continues to provide aid to bring life back to normal.

In the recent years, this organization has also made a huge effort in providing clean water in Malawi.

Langar Aid

In 2015, through its long-term initiative Langar Aid, Khalsa Aid dedicated a team for its Malawi Project.

Though considered to be one of the smallest and least developed countries in the African continent, Malawi region is widely known to be the warm heart of Africa. In 2015, the region suffered a major setback from one of its worst floodings and according to the United Nations, close to a quarter of a million people remained displaced, facing disease and malnutrition. With total estimated damages of $50 million and 15 affected districts out of Malawi’s total 28, the Malawi government with the help of UNICEF launched series of relief programs. The aim was to rebuild infrastructure and provide clean water and life-saving food assistance to those affected.

In response to the flooding situation, Khalsa Aid’s humanitarian efforts in Malawi involved initial installation of water pumps in the rural region, and subsequently, the addition of many more water pumps.

In 2015, with the help of donations, the team of Langar Aid went on grounds of Malawi to access the situation and provide assistance to the local communities. After a detailed assessment and consultation, the team felt an urgent need to provide vital food supplies and clean drinking water in the region. A relief team from Khalsa Aid visited the region for an initial assessment and found that many people had no access to clean drinking water due to damaged infrastructure. The team noticed that many people of the country’s town Phalombe had to walk for miles or take a bicycle and carry the buckets of water themselves.

The Success of the Project

Through their interactions with local communities, government and contractors, the team of Khalsa Aid created a permanent water source in the region. The volunteers and team of specialists mobilized drilling resources and after hours of drilling, a suitable water well was found. A hand pump was included on a platform on top of the water well, making it convenient for locals to fetch the water from the well.

Additionally, the people of Malawi along with the village administrative authorities received orientation session and were given handouts explaining the usage and maintenance of installed water pumps. Khalsa Aid now plans on drilling more boreholes in the region of Phalombe to make clean water more accessible for local communities.

Through the project of Langar Aid, Khalsa Aid’s humanitarian efforts in Malawi included an extended support for an estimated 500 families over a month through the provision of “food drops”. These are packages of nutritious meals that contained an assortment of fresh food, vegetables and seasonings. The volunteer team of Langar Aid also installed eco-friendly clean water pumps.

Local government and organizations like WaterAid have also been working to ensure that communities in Malawi region have clean water, toilets and sanitation. Only one in three people in the Malawi region has access to clean water, that amounts to roughly 5.6 million.

A region where more than half the entire population awaits a decent toilet and where dirty water and poor toilets are a prime reason for deaths of 31,000 children in a year, noble initiatives like Khalsa Aid are getting much appreciation and extensive global support.

– Deena Zaidi
Photo: Flickr

History of Ebola in Guinea

History of Ebola in Guinea
A rapidly spreading virus with a high fatality rate and no cure, Ebola was first recorded in Guinea in 2013 with the death of a local two-year-old boy. This marked the first outbreak of Ebola in all of West Africa. Since then, the highly fatal virus has been spreading throughout neighboring countries such as Sierra Leone and Liberia, leaving a trail of death behind it.

History of Ebola in Guinea: A Look at the First Case

A two-year-old boy living in the remote village of Meliandou, Guinea, Emile Ouamouno is the first recorded case of Ebola in West Africa. According to the EMBO Molecular Medicine journal, researchers believe Ouamouno was playing with bats in a hollowed tree trunk when he contracted the virus. He died two days later after battling a fever, vomiting and black stool. His mother, sister and grandmother expired soon after. The deadly virus was spreading. In a span of four months, residents of Meliandou buried 14 people due to Ebola. By March, the virus had emerged in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria. Panic began to set in around the globe.

Containment and Quarantine in Guinea

It wasn’t until months later that Ouamouno’s death was recognized as Ebola. On March 23, 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the outbreak in Guinea and reported that 49 people were already infected.

The same month, Guinea’s President Alpha Conde declared a 45-day national health emergency. In a national statement, Conde banned those who had contact with Ebola victims from leaving their homes and anyone who disregarded this measure was “a threat to the public and will face the might of the law.”

Transportation and travel came to a halt. Ebola is transmitted through bodily fluids such as spit or blood and handling infected bodies can also lead to contraction of the virus. Border control in Guinea intensified and travel restrictions increased. However, none of this could stop animals that cross borders effortlessly, carrying the virus with them. The history of Ebola in Guinea continued to rage on.

The Illusion of Elimination

Heavily stigmatized by society, Ebola victims would often hide their illness and continue to interact with society. With an incubation period of up to three weeks, it is impossible to test positive for Ebola until symptoms show. By then, it might be too late. Villages quarantined themselves out of fear.

Others doubted the very existence of Ebola. A member of the Fula ethnic group had a different explanation. “This outbreak isn’t real. How could we be having Ebola here?” he said. “President Conde made it up because he’s trying to delay elections.”

Ebola continued to spread in 2014 with no end in sight, despite educational campaigns and international health workers. In fact, the health workers contributed to the conspiracy theories. Dressed in all yellow, moving stiffly and setting up quarantined tents where loved ones entered and never returned prompted fear in the locals. Some villagers began to spread rumors that the medical workers were harvesting organs and stealing limbs. The number of people willing to enter quarantine tapered off.

Reemergence of Ebola in Guinea

In late May, the last case of Ebola in Guinea was symptom-free for 21 days. President Conde announced, “for the moment, the situation is well in hand.” International medical workers began to depart the country and communities let out sighs of relief. At that moment, the nightmare was over.

In late July, a new patient was admitted. By the end of the month, dozens more from all over Guinea. The presence of Ebola in Guinea continued and was worse than ever.

The Deadliest Year

In 2014, more than 1,500 people died from Ebola in West Africa. Meliandou. This is where Ebola began in Guinea with the death of Emile Ouamouno, only to be isolated and ostracized from the national community. Surrounding villages refused to trade and vehicles were scared to enter the borders. In Meliandou, Ebola became less of a concern as people began to suffer hunger and poverty.

Free of Ebola

On December 29, 2014, Guinea was declared free of Ebola. However, Guinea was still in a state of heightened surveillance for the next three months. More than a year passed with Guinea recovering from the health emergency and mourning those who died.

In March 2016, two people in Guinea tested positive for Ebola. Fear began to creep up again in local communities. By March 22, 2016, more than 816 people in contact with the individuals had been quarantined and Liberia closed its borders with Guinea.

On April 1, 2016, an experimental vaccination was used on those with suspected contact with infected individuals. On April 5, 2016, it was reported that nine new cases of Ebola emerged in Guinea. Eight died. The WHO implemented a short incubation period and on June 1, 2016, declared Guinea free of Ebola. At last, the history of Ebola in Guinea came to a close.

Photo: Flickr

Poverty Reduction Strategies in China

Poverty Reduction Strategies in China
Over 68 million people have benefited since 2013 when President Xi Jinping vowed to eradicate poverty in China by 2020. This ambitious goal, if realized, will markedly reduce inequality, leading to greater job creation and sustainable development. The realization of this goal has already had a meaningful impact on social, economic and political levels.

Means to Poverty Eradication

The government has increased funding for poverty reduction, both on national and local levels. Financial institutions have enhanced contributions to increase loans and provide assistance to local projects. By creating strict benchmarks and targets for local institutions, the government has created a means of measuring goals and ensuring wise investments.

The clearly defined goals include investing in food security, education, health and housing, especially in rural areas. Providing easily accessible public services is also a useful way to achieve economic equality. By registering the poor on a national database, the government is able to effectively monitor and implement domestic strategies. This registration system also allows for a more targeted approach.

Through investments in rural infrastructure, agriculture and subsidies, the government is attempting to empower those living in the poorer parts of the nation. Welfare programs especially target the socioeconomically marginalized by using public expenditure to serve them. By making individuals and households the target of welfare schemes, rather than entire villages, the government is aiming to reach out to those who suffer the greatest deprivation and lack of opportunity.

Loans, subsidies and higher wages are economic means by which China plans to create opportunities for local businesses and self-employed individuals. Larger enterprises are also encouraged to invest in smaller businesses and development projects- this will work alongside poverty relief funds granted to farmers.

The Belt Road Initiative is a project that enhances infrastructure connectivity among different countries and continents.

Investing in such infrastructure will, in fact, impact global poverty worldwide. The establishment of the BRICS Development Bank, the Silk Road Fund and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, will benefit the rest of the Global South.

The poverty reduction strategies in China also include the promotion of industrialization and urbanization, which provides poor areas with infrastructures such as roads, electricity and communication technology. Furthermore, China wants to develop tourism in rural areas in order to raise wages and create jobs.

Results of The Poverty Reduction Strategy

China has made great progress in working towards the U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by contributing to over 70 percent of poverty reduced around the world. According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), China has made great leaps in reducing poverty and reaching the benchmarks laid out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), lifting more than 500 million of its citizens out of extreme poverty over the last three decades.

Initiatives that allow rural residents to participate in e-commerce for next to no fees are set up to ensure the expansion of businesses and create a more favorable environment for investment. Companies such as Alibaba are also collaborating with the government and the U.N. to provide rural entrepreneurs with a platform to sell their goods online throughout the nation.

Anti-corruption Campaign

China has also launched an anti-corruption campaign that includes removing officials accused of bribery and political interference. By including a broadened definition of bribery and creating a regulatory body to investigate cases, the government has created more stringent systems for detecting and dealing with corruption. The government has rigorously enforced the laws, however, there are concerns about selective enforcement and political motivations guiding the actions.

China’s targeted poverty alleviation strategy has been largely successful thus far. However, it remains to be seen how China will be able to create a sustainable long-term approach to uplifting its citizens. It is necessary to, alongside strategies to enhance economic empowerment, implement measures to establish democratic institutions. The poverty reduction strategies in China are comprehensive and if implemented effectively will allow for the growth of the economy as well as the increase in living standard.

– Isha Kakar
Photo: Flickr

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Empty Stomachs to Hopeful Hearts: 8 Facts About Hunger in the US

Hunger in the U.S.
When one thinks of global hunger, the United States does not immediately come to mind as a country suffering from food insecurity. Yet, this does not mean that there are no hungry people in America, or that there are not demographic and geographic pockets of people experiencing hunger. Here are eight facts about hunger in the U.S.

Factors Related to Demographic and Geographic Disparities

  1. Demographics Affected by Hunger: Feeding America reports that the impact of hunger disproportionately affects different demographics. As is common in less developed countries, higher rates of hunger are experienced by children, seniors, the disabled, communities of color and rural communities.
  2. The Relationship Between Poverty and Hunger: Poverty is an underlying cause of hunger in all categories. Low family income, fixed income, lack of affordable housing so that food loses out to rent, under employment and unemployment all contribute to poverty.
  3. Child Hunger: Child hunger can be more prevalent for children of single parents, and for children of black, Latino and Native American families. Feeding America reported 20% of children being unsure as to where they would get their next meal in 2023—nearly 14 million children.
  4. Hunger Among Seniors: Seniors are more likely to live on fixed (and often inadequate) incomes, to have chronic health problems, to lack access to transportation and to be socially isolated. Feeding America reported 7 million older adults as food insecure in 2022, possibly rising to 9 million by 2050.
  5. Hunger Among the Vulnerable: Many active military and veterans, especially veterans who are older, disabled and/or in poor health are challenged to find a steady income post military, while partners of active military members find it difficult to find work because of frequent moves or living on base. Many bases are not near grocery stores. In addition, there are those veterans who have physical and mental issues related to military service. Feeding America reported food insecurity in 2020 for 24% of active-duty service members.
  6. People of Color: Some of the challenges often faced by people of color are cultural barriers and immigration policies and living in “food deserts”—areas without grocery stores or sources of fresh, healthy foods. In 2023, 25% of black people (9 million) and 25% of Latinos (nearly 14 million) were food insecure. In 2024, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that food insecurity was significantly greater among American Indian/Alaska Native households than for all U.S. households, or approximately 30% of households compared to 15%.
  7. Rural Americans: Issues for rural Americans include distance from stores and food pantries combined with lack of transportation, low wages and underemployment. Racism and long-term inequalities have resulted in rural black people as 2.5 more likely to experience hunger, with rural Native Americans having some of the highest rates of hunger in the country.
  8. Food Sovereignty for Native Americans: Uniquely for Native Americans is the additional issue of native food sovereignty, the “right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.” The significance of food sovereignty led to the creation in 2005 of the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance, a national network “dedicated to restoring food systems that support tribal self-determination and community wellness.

Assistance Programs for Food Insecure Americans

In 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture reported that 13.5% of U.S. households (18 million households) were food insecure, meaning that at some time during the year there were insufficient resources to provide enough food for all members of the family. This was an increase over the previous the years. To address this need are many programs, both government programs and programs that nonprofit organizations offer.

Government Food Programs

The first Food Stamp Program came into being in 1939, serving around 20 million people over the course of its existence until spring 1943. There were various similar programs until 1964, when President Lyndon Johnson signed the Food Stamp Act, making the program permanent. Over the years, there have been many changes in the program, which has been reborn as SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is the largest anti-hunger program in America, currently helping approximately 42 million people.

In 2025, the USDA reported that about 25% of Americans participated in at least one of its food and nutrition assistance programs at some point during a given year.

Other government assistance includes programs for:

  • Older adults, e.g., Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program; Commodity Supplemental Food Program providing monthly food boxes to people aged 60 and older
  • Emergencies, e.g., Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
  • Women, Infants and Children, WIC
  • School children, e.g., National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program, Summer Food Service Program
  • Native Americans, e.g., Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservation

Nonprofit Programs

Two prominent nonprofit food assistance programs in the U.S. are:

  • Meals on Wheels America: Meals on Wheels American has been in existence for 50 years and is a network of more than 5,000 independent community-based providers that delivers meals to more than two million seniors annually. They report “millions more” waiting to be included.
  • No Kid Hungry: Share Our Strength launched No Kid Hungry in 2010 and is a campaign addressing problems of poverty and hunger within the U.S. as well as globally. Its focus is raising money and awareness, but it also works with programs on the ground, having granted more than $600 million to these programs.  

Addressing Hunger in the U.S.

There are many factors that contribute to hunger in the U.S. among individuals, families and communities. Some of these factors have to be addressed at the societal level such as unemployment, housing, transportation and racism. At the individual level, needs can be met simply by getting food to hungry people, as many government programs and charitable organization do.

– Staff Reports

Photo: Flickr

On the Road to Progress: Poverty Reduction in Papua New Guinea

Poverty Reduction in Papua New Guinea
Poverty in Papua New Guinea is characterized by many social, economic and geographical inequalities, but there is an abundance of organizations willing to help bring the country to a flourishing state. Here are the issues, solutions and organizations involved in poverty reduction in Papua New Guinea.

Poverty Reduction in Papua New Guinea

Since the 1990s, poverty in Papua New Guinea has been on the rise. With about 6.5 million people living in the country, more than 37 percent of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day.

According to UNDP, seventy-five percent of the population is dependent on agriculture. A large portion of the population lives in rural areas, where agriculture is the main source of income. Citizens living in rural communities don’t have access to electricity and adequate healthcare facilities.

UNDP supports the government in implementing new strategies with reducing poverty in Papua New Guinea as well as promotes equality among women and men. The organization is working towards creating a financial sector in the country to make more services affordable to citizens.

Healthcare

The healthcare system in Papua New Guinea has been struggling in the past few decades to offer quality health services. The rugged terrain, landscape of the country and lack of transportation systems makes it difficult for citizens living in rural areas to get to healthcare services in the urban areas. Malnutrition is one of the main reasons for infant mortality, which reached 57 deaths per 1000 live births.

Diseases also run high throughout the country and clean water is difficult to obtain. In fact, 4.8 million citizens do not have access to clean water in Papua New Guinea, and over 200 children under the age of five die from diarrhoeal diseases. Other disease such as HIV/AIDS and malaria are also top causes of death in the country.

Caritas is an organization that helps bring education, healthcare and community empowerment to people living in poverty in Papua New Guinea. In 2011, Caritas implemented a program that made sure that people living in remote or rural areas of the country have access to healthcare facilities that test for many diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria. Caritas also started a Life Skills program to help young adults struggling with HIV/AIDS and ex-prisoners that need a new start in life.

Gender Inequality

Papua New Guinea is ranked on the top ten list of countries with the most gender inequality. Women have unequal access to healthcare and education and are very underrepresented in government. There is also many violent crimes against women and children in the country, and sex trafficking is common.

Oxfam Australia strives for equality amongst men and women in Papua New Guinea by raising awareness about violent crimes against women to hopefully stop violence before it occurs. OxFam is supported by the Australian government through many provided programs such as Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP), which offers quality support to survivors of crime in the country.

Not only do they help with crime victims, OxFam also provides clean water and hygiene services to people living in poverty in Papua New Guinea.

Natural Disasters

The country is also affected by natural disasters that ruin food crops and infrastructure. In fact, about four million people were affected by natural disasters in Papua New Guinea from the years 1997 to 2010.

CARE is a nonprofit organization that has worked since 1989 to help eradicate poverty in Papua New Guinea. The organization responds directly to emergency situations such as natural disasters and droughts. They bring water, hygiene and sanitary services to areas that need it the most. CARE also assists with improving agricultural practices, education and disease prevention.

Missionaries and the Prospect of Prosperity

Aside from the many non-profit organizations focused on poverty reduction in Papua New Guinea, missionaries also work hard to bring their services to the country. Danny Markell of Douglasville, Georgia went on a mission trip with a traveling preacher to Papua New Guinea. Markell and the rest of the team traveled to Port Moresby and urban cities surrounding the capital to pass out food, water and other basic necessities.

“We gave out a lot of Bibles and coloring books for the kids,” Markell said. “We also helped out at two young camps.” Missionaries like Markell travel to the country every year to give citizens supplies, education and healthcare to make their lives a little bit easier.

Through their efforts and the work of the many organizations that provide assistance, there could be hope for the people living in poverty in Papua New Guinea.

– McKenzie Hamby

Photo: Flickr

Universal Basic Income in India

Universal Basic Income in India
Universal Basic Income (UBI) refers to an unconditional sum of money given by the government to all citizens, via cash transfer, regardless of their wealth. The goal of such a scheme is to guarantee that all citizens of the country are able to support themselves and fulfill their basic needs.

Benefits of Universal Basic Income

Arvind Subramanian, Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India, believes that Universal Basic Income will be a reality in some states in the country within the next two years. He argues that such a scheme will be more effective and easier to administer, compared to other welfare programs administered by the government.

The Economic Survey of 2017 highlighted the benefits of Universal Basic Income in India as a means to alleviate poverty. The report mentions that such a scheme must first and foremost be unconditional and universal, and thus it will promote social justice, productivity and economic equality. The poor would be empowered to decide how to spend their money most efficiently, based on their individual needs.

Individuals would also have the ability to select their employment conditions more carefully, instead of being forced to work in exploitative conditions simply because of the desperate need to provide for themselves and their families.

The report asserts that UBI is an effective scheme, and should replace existing subsidies that are given with the lofty aim of alleviating poverty. However, it also makes a specific mention that the political climate might prove to be an obstacle to achieving this goal. Universal Basic Income in India cannot replace state capacity but it could and should complement it.

UBI would especially empower women by providing them with greater economic independence. Having their own reliable source of income would enhance their agency, make them less dependent on men and will be a step to narrow the gender inequality and the overarching sway of patriarchy.

Such a scheme would also encourage citizens to utilize financial systems and establish credit. Not only will this enhance the financial knowledge of citizens, but it will be profitable for banks in India. Allowing previously socioeconomically marginalized groups to access formal credit systems will reduce their reliance on informal loans and exploitation by moneylenders.

Critics of UBI

Critics of Universal Basic Income argue that giving unconditional cash to citizens will encourage them to spend it recklessly on alcohol, gambling and drugs and that this would actually reduce the incentive to work. However, basic income experiments conducted in a village in Kenya over a 12-year period show that most participants used $22 per month allowance on basic necessities and did not squander the money.

The UBI pilots in India were funded by UNICEF and the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) and operated in rural villages of Madhya Pradesh, in 2011. These pilots showed largely positive results- the beneficiaries were using the money wisely by investing in education, household expenditure and food. A report published by SEWA found that unconditional cash transfers helped improve productivity, financial stability and health of the people.

The pilot study measured only the short-term impact of UBI, and critics argue that the long-term impact cannot be measured so easily and thus we cannot really assess if the scheme is feasible.

This innovative approach offers the prospect of empowering the poor and providing them with basic necessities. Previous studies have shown its positive impact on poverty alleviation on social, political and economic levels.

– Isha Kakar
Photo: Flickr